Memorial Hospital seals deal with CHS

York, PA -
The name is still the same, but Memorial Hospital is under new ownership.

On Sunday, subsidiaries of Nashville-based Community Health Systems finalized a deal to buy the hospital, the Surgical Center of York and other associated facilities.

"The transition took place overnight and it went very well," Josette Myers, spokeswoman for the hospital. "Patient care continued normally, the changes were administrative in nature, and our staff did a great job."

The name of the hospital will remain Memorial Hospital, Myers said. The staff of the hospital will also largely be the same.

"The same physicians and employees are here to take care of our patients - with the same professionalism, compassion and service our hospital has always provided," she said.

Changes in the healthcare industry that have made it difficult for a standalone hospital to prosper contributed to Memorial's decision to partner with Community Health Systems.

"After evaluating potential partners, we selected Community Health Systems to help us maintain choice and transform healthcare in our community," Sally Dixon, Memorial's president and CEO, said recently. "CHS shares our values and has a proven track record of successfully deploying capital, increasing services and supporting community hospitals in their efforts to provide patients with high quality care close to where they live and work."

Myers also noted the positive aspects of joining a hospital company.

"It comes with some great advantages, including access to the resources, stability and strength of a large hospital company," she said.

The agreement between Memorial and CHS includes a financial commitment to build a replacement medical hospital on the site of the former Hawk Lake Golf Course in West Manchester Township.

Construction of that project is expected to begin within 30 months.

All of the changes should be a positive step for customers, Myers said.

"We're excited about the future," she said. "Everyone at the hospital is upbeat and looking forward to what comes next for us and for our community as a result of this transaction."

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story

Sufjan Stevens, "Carrie & Lowell" (Asthmatic Kitty) Plucked strings and pulsing keyboards dominate the distinctive arrangements on Sufjan Stevens' latest album, and in the absence of a rhythm section, they serve to keep time. Full Story